Paring machine



Feb. 13, 1923..

' J. F. KOH-LER PARING MACHINE ori inal Filed July .28, 1919 s sheets-sheet 1 ATTORNEY Feb. 13, 1923. I 1,445,145

J. F. KQHLER PARING MACHINE Original Filed July 28, 1919 5 sheets-sheet 2 ATTORNEY I I cocounut for commercial uses, to remove this Patented l3, Ul l ll li ll hi rev rse en'renr eer e JQHN r. KOHLER, or WHITE rnnrusjunw Yonir.

, resins MACHINE.

Application filed July 28, 1519, sci-m1 No. 312,751. Renewed August 8, 1922. Sal-m1 'No. 580,587.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knew-1n that 1, JOHN F. Konnnn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of White Plains, VVestchester County, and vState oi New York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Faring Machines, of which the following 18 a specilication.

My invention relates to a machine for paring edible products and it is especially adzqpted icrparing the thin'brown skin from I ieat or kernel otcocoanuts. then a cocoauut has had its shell removed. there is th e let't the nearly round hall or kernel which is cover l with a thin brown skin and .it-is necessary or dcsirablean preparing ."the

slain without injuring the meat of the cocoa nit and with as little less ot'the latter as [)OSSllfilEi in theparing operation. IlOl'Gtl} tore. it has been customary. to remove this skin by hand work the parersusinga'hand spokeshave in the process. The object of my present invention is toprovide a machine which will pare the shin from the cocoanut evenly. rapidly,andeconomically so that there is no of the cocoanut meat. The present much cient means for holding and, revolving the 'cocozuiuts without injury, means for presenting them successively in position for paring them, and means for paring the coco-anutsl The latter is adapted to pare cocoanuts of varying sizes withriiut' dwelling atthe same position 1011;); enough to remove any substantial part ofthe meat. In order to ac complish this, the devicemust be adapted to pare the larger size cocoanut, hut in paring any below the maximum size the ignite must so operate as not to dwell in one place on. the cocoanut oi" smaller size as otherwise it would continue to pare away the meat a'itcr l igure 2 is a longitudinalsectional view embodies simple and ellil igure 6 is an enlarged. sectional view showing rails,

igure Knife,

igure 8 s the device for adjustingthe cam 7 is a sectional view of the; paring h a face view thereof,

:Figure 9 is a diagrammatic view showing:

the path of movement of the during the paring operation,

Figure 10, is a sectional Iview taken on the line l01(.lof Figure 1,,showing the mechanlsm tor operating the paringknife,

l igure 11, is i a vertical sectional vieAv showing the nutholding' and turning device,

some of thefclamps oniitted,'f j

'l 1gl1l6Sl3 and 14 are detail views of the Figure 12 is a planview thereof, with means for intermittently revolving the'turret.

The machine is shown herein as mounted or built upon a frame consisting of the.

standards 1 and atop or table '2 and these parts may talte any form which may be tound'suitahle for the purpose. There is a f main shaft 3 supported upon the frame and from which the various parts of the mechanism are operated. This shaft may be driven by any convenient source of power and I have shown a pulley 4, on the outer end of the shaft. which may be operated bya belt from any source ofpower. If desired, this shaft may be operated by an electric motor-directly connected therewith. Near the opposite side of the machinefrom the driving pulley l have mountedahove the table 2a turret 5 which is spaced some [distance above the table and it is revolvahle in the cylinder-7 and it carries the nut holding and revolving devices. This turret is" mounted to revolve with a central shaft 6, which projects down through the table 2 and "which is provided at its lower end with amitre gear 8 through ivhich this shaftis driven. The nut holding ing devices. There is a sleeve 10 revoluble in each boss 9 and above the turret this sleeve carries a base 11 from which extends upwardly a casing or sl ell 12 which is somewhat larger in diameter than the largest cocoanuts to be handled in the machine. There is a circular plate. 13 supported above the base 11 on sleeves 1% and secured by bolts 15. Clamping;- members or grippers 16 are :fulrrumed at 18 to upstanding; ears 17 on the plate 13. These clamps are arranged in circular form around the plate 13 and they are adapted to swing; on planes parallel with the radii of the plate or toward and trom axis. At the lower end and outside the fulcrum 18 each clamp is provided with a heel 19 bv means of which the clamps are operated. to swing toward the axis oi the plate .13. There is a sleeve 20 slidable inside the sleeve 19 and it carries aplate 21 which is movable vertically between the base 11 and the plate 13. his plate 21 has an upturned reticulated flange 22 which engages the several heels 19 for. the purpose of rocking" the severalclainps inwardly. The upper ends of the clamps are provided with shoes 23 all arranged in the same horizontal plane, and these are adapted to engage at intervals around the outside of the cocoanut 24 shown in Figure 1.1.

The cylinder. 12 is provided with slots 25 into which the sections of the flange 22 pro ject and in which the several clamps swing, so that th latter are free to swing toward and from the axis of the nut holding device, but they are guided against lateral displacement by the cylinder 12. The nut holding; device as a whole adapted to revolve in theboss 9-, and the sleeve 20 and. its plate 21 are adapted to reciprocate relatively to the clamps. The sleeve 10 is reduced in diameter at the bottom and it carries a washer 26. Thereis a gear 27 held on. the sleeve 20 by a nut 28 and through this ear the nut h olding device as whole is revolved.

There is a spindle 29 slidable in the sleeve 20, its lower end projecting); helow the sleeve 20 and its upper end projecting above the plate 13, where. it carries a. plate 30 having). a concave top. surface adapted to receive and support the cocoanut. This spindle 29 is adapted to rise and fall as will be pointed out.

There is acam track consisting; of rails 31 pivoted at 32 to the table 2 and they are are shaped so as to lie under the path of travel of the cocoanut holding devices. The upper edges of these rails 31. slant upwardly toward the paring position and the track is adjustable to alter its inclination. There are posts (see Fig. 1) slidable through apertures in the table 2 and below the latter they-are connected by a cross bar 34 sothat they move together. There a contact ball 35 on the under side of the bar 34 which rests on one end of a lever 36 which is pivoted at 37 in a bracket. As shown in Figure 6. the other end of this lever has pivoted thereto a plunger 38 which slides vertically in a fixed tube or guide 39. There is a bolt 40 screwed through the cap ll and it is provided with a head 4-2 which presses down on the top of a, coiled spring 43, the latter in turn pressing down on the plunger 38. By regulating the screw 4-0 the lever 36 may be pressed down moreor less for the purpose of elevating the opposite endo'f the lever and thus elevating the cam track 31 at the end near the paring; position. It will be apparent that the track 31 is not rig-id but that it can rise or fall on account of? the spring 43 which permits but resists the downward. II'IOVQIHQUlJ Ol the track and restores it to position. The rails of the track engage the gear 27 on the lower end of the sleeve 20' so that as the turret revolves, one of the nut holding devices travels over the track 31. and as it passes over the fulcrum 32 of the track the gear 27 engages the track 2 and while the turret is revolving the track raises the sleeve 20 under the resistible action oi the spring 13 and the upward movement continues until the nutholding device reaches the paring position. ll hen the sleeve 20 moved upwardly by the track the plate 21 his and the flange members 22 press on the heels 19 oi the several clamps. This throws the upper ends oi the clamps inwardly until they press tightly around the eocoanut which was placed on the support 39, the latter at this time being in its lower position. held by the support 30 and by the several clamps. The grip of the clamps gradually tightens until the cocoanut reaches the paring position when'the grip reaches its maximum. At the time the holding device reachesthe paring position the turret stops revolving "for a short period and the holding device is revolved very rapidly by mechanism to be hereinafter described.

The cocoanut is then gripped and l heu the paring operation is completed the turret again revolves to bring a new holding device into paring position and the one which was in operation. is moved away. As the latter travels around a quarter" circle the spindle 29 engages an inclined cam plate lat, first engaging the lower portion of its surface and gradually moving opto its higher portion. The cam member 44L while the turret is turning raises the spindle 29 and its support 30 and this lifts the cocoanut, which was previously pared, up to the dotted line position. shown in Figure 1, so that the cocoanut is ejected from the-machine. It will be understood that when the turret commences to revolve in the operation just described. the gear 27 passes off the track 81 and ittherefore falls to its lower position and this releases the grip of the clamps 16 on the cocoanut preparatory to the upward movement of the spindle 29. As the turret continues to turn. the rod 29 disengages from the cam member 4A and it engages a contiguous spring member, which is gradually depressed until the rod 29 passes off the end and then the spring prevents back movement ofthe rod 29 and turret. i I

The paring device includes a knife 46 mounted on an arm l? and having inclined plates 4-8, 49. On one of these is secured a knife blade 50 andon the other issecured a guard 51 the edges of these two members being spaced apart at 52 to allow the 'shav ing to pass through. The. guard 51 rests against the cocoa-nut and controls the depth of cut of the blade, so that only the outer brown skin of the cocoanut will be pared."

The knife arm 47 rocks on a pivot 53 in the arm 54: projecting from a shaft 55 and it is guided in a forked arm 56 also carried on the shaft 55. The spring 57 connected between the knife lever 47 and the shaft 55 draws over the former to press the knife against the cocoanut.

Preferably, the shaft 55 is adapted to rock and to rise and fall. I have shown this shaft iounted in a bearing on the end of an arm 58 which projects from a hub 59. The latter slidable up and down on the post 60, so that the shaft 55 may rise and fall with the arm 58. shaft 62v and the pitman 63 has one end pivoted to the face of this gear 61 the other end of the pitman being pivoted to an arm 64-. fixed to the shaft 55. The crank motion on the pitman causes the shaft 55 to rock and this causes the paring" knife. to travel i in an' arc of about 90, in which movement it will travel from the position 65 in Figure 9 to the position 66. There is an adjustable stop screw 67 carried on an arm 68 which is fixed to the shaft 55 and this stop screw is adapted to come into contact with the top of the post 60. W hen the pitman rocks the shaft the latter and the knife levers? will turn in the arc of a circle whose center is in the axis of this shaft and if the screw 67 is adjusted to strike the post nearthe end of the rotation of the shaft 55 the screw will strike the post and the further upward motion of the pitman 63 will cause the bearing: 59, arm 58, shaft 55 and the knife to rise'upwardl the screw 67 acting. as a fulcrum for the several parts. This action causes the knife to rise from the position 66 in figure 9 to the position 69, during -which the knife moves off the cocoa-nut and it allows the latter to pass under it as the turret is advanced to bring another cocoanut into position. If the arc traversed by the knife from the position to the position 66 correspondsto the smaller cocoanuts, the knife will simply leave the cocoanut at There is a gear wheel 61 on. the

the position 66 and continue inactiveto' the position 69; but when the cocoanut is of a larger "size the knife will continue to operate serving to turn the shaft 6 which carries the] turret.

-, Theturret moves intermittently making a half revolution each time it moves. the main shaft 3 there is a small gear which operates a larger gear 76 on the short shaftj77. There is small gear 7 8,011 the latter shaft, whichoperates the larger gear 61 to which the pitman 63 is connected. At one side of the gear 61 and on the same shaft there is a mutilated gear'ZQfone half i of which has teeth. 80 and the other halfof which is smooth. There is a small mutilated gear 81 on the shaft 70, having teeth- 82 and a smooth portion 83'and this gear is operated by the gear 79. The latter hasa pin 84 which acts on the arm 85'0fthe gear 81 to pick up the latter and start its teeth'82 I mesh with the teeth 80 of the larger" gear 9. :V'Yhen the larger gear 79 makes acom- 'ple'te revolution its pin 84 acts on the arm 85' topick up the gearSl' hich then begins to vmesh with the teeth 80 and the smaller gear makes a. revolution and then stops when its smooth portion again comes opposite the gear 79. revolve" until the pin E i-again picks up the gear 81. .Thus, the movement of the gear 81 is an. intermittent one/and there is a multiplying: rations between the gears '79 and 81. Through this motion the 'turret'is revolved a half revolution intermittentlyto' bring the cocoanut holders successively into paring position. Y

()n'the end of the main shaft 3 there is a mitre rear 86 which meshes with a mitr'e;

sea r 87. or. the 'shaftSS. The latter passes through the table 2 and abovethe latter it carries a gear 89 with which the'g ears 27 on the nut holding deyices are adapted to mesh when the holdingdevices come into. paring position. Vhen these gears 89, 27 are in mesh the complete holding device is revolved,

the number of revolutions beinn"sufiicient to nsure the removal of a complete shaving of skin from. the cocoanut while the knife is making its upward swine".

Operation: The operator will place a cocoanut in one of the holdin o'; devices while the latter n the position "shown at the The latter continues to paring left in Figure 1. At this time the clamps 1 6 are open. and the .operator simply places the cocoanut on the plate'EBO, and this cocoa: nutrecg'uires no further attention.

' After a cocoanut has been thus fed to" the other 'dhng or more rapld handling than where machine the turret is turned a half revolution. /Vhile making this half revolution the track 31 raises the sleeve 20, the plate 21 and this causes the clamps 16 to move inwardly and clamp the cocoanut which was placed on the support 50 so that by the time the cocoanut has reached the aring knife it is tightly clamped in theholder. l'Vhen the turret is making this half turn the opposite holder is moving from the paring position to the receiving position. During this movement the spin lie 29 on the returning holding device the cam and is raised so that the cocoanut is lifted tree of the clamps and is ejected or discharged into any suitable receptacle or conveyor. It will be understood. that the clamps 1.6 are released as the holding device passes beyond thetrack 31 that the cocoenut is released by the clamps 16 in time for the ejecting operation. By the time the holding device returns to the position near the operator it is ready to "receive another cocoanut.

AS a holding; device reaches the paring position its gear 2'? comes into. mesh with the gear 89 and the sleeVes'QO, 1.0 and spindle 39 are revolved rapidly-during one of the stationary periods Oil the turret. As the holder and cocoanut revolve, the paring knife is presented against the cocoanut atthe central line thereof and the knife then rises around the cocoanu-t. As the latter revoh; the knife pares oil the outer skin in the form of a continuous shaving; and. when the knife reaches the apex of the cocoanut continues to rise. leaving the (-ocoanut tree to shift with the holding device to the dis.- charge position. ll hen'the pitman 63 reverses its direction of'movement or goes down 't'ollowing the paring operation. the knife returns to. its initial position ready for the next paring; operation.

The present machine is designed tov pare only one halt the cocoanut' at one operation. To pare the other halt the cocoanut may he inverted and reted to the holding device by hand. but the. method which l, prefer to follow is to have separate machines and to feed the ccoanuts in the first instance to one machine for paring; halt the. cocoauut and to. have the half-pared cocoanuts pass on to a. second machine and then fed in reverse position to the latter for parire; the half. This method insures less hanthe cocoanuts are returned to the same ma chine for the second paring operation.

It is necessary to pare the shelled cocoa-nut without breaking it, for well known commercial reasons, and heretofore it has been difficult to mechanicallyv pare them without cracking or breaking the cocoanut so that most if not all of this work is now done by hand. The present holding and revolving devices operate efiiciently without injuring Leannes the cocoanut. The clamps 16 are actually held by spring action because the pressure of the cam track 31 on the closing sleeve is controlled by the spring and the pressure is adjustable from time to time through the screw 1-0. The cocoanut is really sup ported by the member 30, and the clamps 16 hold the cocoanut so that it revolves with the holding device. p

' The weight or the cocoanut comes on the plate and less pressure by the clamps 16 is required to grip and hold the cocoanut than if the clamps alone supported it.

Having described my inventiom What I claim is: p

1. A. paring i achine comprising a paring knife and means for moving it in relation to the product, a revolving turret. revolving means carried by the turret and including cla nping members adapted to be closed upon a nut or similar product, meal for intermittently rotating said. turret to present said holding means into position for the product to be acted upon by said kni i' e. means adapted to automatically and dually close said clamping; members on rid product said holding, device approaches the paring position and adapted to release said c ipingr members when said holding device leaves the paring position.

2. A. paring machine comprising a movable paring knife andarevolving; turret rcvolvable holding means arapted to he closed upon a nut or similar product means an intermittently rotating said turret to present said holding menus into position tor the product to befacted upon by said knife means adapted to auto'mathv rally close said clampingmembers on said product and operating mechanism with which said holding means comes. into operative relation when said latter means reaches.

the paring position.

'3. Aparing machine comprising a movable holding means carried by the turret and including; members adapted to he closed upon a nut oi similar prodi ct, means for intcrn'iittently resolving said ti let to present said holding; means into position tor the product to he acted upon by said knife,

able pining kni a revolving turret, rcvolv means for automatically closing; said clamp-.

carried by said turret and including clamping: members ed-to'be closedupoua. nut orsi'milar' prode sistible pressure to-close said clamping members on said product, and means for revolvmg said holding means.

volvable holding means carried by said tur-- rot. and includingciampingmembers adaptuct, means for intermittently rotating said turret to presentsaid holding means into.

position, for-the product to be acted upon by'said knife, adjustable "means for applying resistible pressure, to close said clamping members "on said product, and means revolving said holding means.

A paring machine comprising a movable paring knife and a revolving turret, rcvo rable holding means carried by said turret, and including clamping members adapted to be closed upon a nu ter similar product, means for intermittently rotating said turret for the purpose set forth, a cam member and means movable with the turret and operated by said cam member for closing said clamping members on said product.

7 A paring machine comprising a movable paring knife and a. revolving turret, rcvolvable holding means carried by said turret and including clamping members adapted to be closed upon a nut or similar product, means for intermittently rotating said turret for the purpose set forth, a pivoted, arcuate cam rail, means for adjusting said rail on its pivot and means movable with the turret and operated by said cam rail forclosing said clamping members on the product. i

8. A paring machine comprising a paring knife and means for moving it in relation to the product, and means for holding and revolving a nut or similar product in relation to said knife, comprising a support on which the product is adapted to rest and clain piing iembers movable inwardly toward the product on said support for engag ing and holding the product for the purpose set forth.

9. A paring machine com n'ising a paring knife and means for moving it in relation to the product, and means for holding and revolving a nut or similar product in relation to said knife, comprising a support on which the product adapted to rest, clamping members movable inwardly toward the product on said support and adapted to leave the upper half of the product exposed to the action of said knife and means for revolving said support and said clamps as a unit.

10. A paring machine comprising a movable paring knife, means for holding and revolving a out or similar product, including a journal socket. a sleeve revolvable therein, support carried by the sleeve and having a plurality of clampingmembers adapted to clamp the product to'bepared, a second sleeve revolvablewith and arranged concentrically of said first sleeve and means carried by said second sleeve for actuating said clamps, means'for revolving said sleeves operate said clampsr f I 11; A paring machine comprising a movable pa'ring knife, a revolvable turret and means carried thereby for holding and revolving the} product," including a journal, socket on the turret, a sleeve revolvable therein, a support carriedby the sleeve and having a plurality of clamping-members adapted to clamp the, product to be pared, a second sleeveyrevolvable with and ar- '70" in'unison and means for moving a sleeve to ranged concentrically of said first sleeve,

ieans carried by said second sle'eve for actuating said clamps, means for revolving said sleeves in un1son, means for moving a sleeve axially to operate sa1d clamps, a rod in said sleeves, having a supporting member for the product inside said clamping members and below the place of engagement of the latter with the product, and meansfor reciprocating said rod.

12; A paring machine comprising a movable paring knife and means for moving it in relation to the product, and means for holding and revolving a nut or similar 'product, comprising a cylinder or basket having longitudinal slots therein, pivoted clamping members movable radially of said cylinder for engaging the product therein, said clamping members swinging in theslots insaid cylinder, means for operating the clamps, and means for revolving said holding device.

13. A paring machine'comprising means for holding and revolving a round or parof clamping membersmoving inwardly to- Ward the axis of the product and exteriorly tially roundproduct comprising a plurality engaging circumferentially around the prod- 1 ward the trails of the product and exteriorly engaging circumferentially' around the prod uct near the horizontal central line thereof with at least one half of the product unchstructed, a paring knife, means for impart ing an arcuate movementthereto in relation to the product, starting with said knife at or near the middle line of the product and moving it toward the apex thereof, and a spring adapted to press the knife against the product. I w

15. A paringmachine comprising means for, holding and revolving a round or partially round product with part ofuthe product exposed to the paringknife, a paring knife and means for in'iparting an areuate movement thereto in relation to the produet starting with the knife at or near themiddle lineof the product and moving it toward and axially beyond-the apex thereof.

16 A paring: machine Comprising means for holding; and revolving a round 01" partially round product with part thereof exposed to the paring knife a shaft, a paring knife carried thereby and in spaced relation thereto, means for rocking said'shaft to impart an arcuate movement to said knife starting with said knife at or near the mid dle line of said product and moving to the apex thereof, and adap'tedto raise said shaft to raise said knife axially above the apex of the product, and a springifor pressing said knife against the product. Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 22nd day of July, 1919. 1 V

v JOHN F. KOHLER. 

